to move to UK with DD just turning 16 - can she slot into school?

[Ceci03]

So my housing situation here in Dublin is horrific. I might have a job in the UK and much better choice of housing. DD is turning 16 in September though. How would she slot into school... I know she would be in GCSE year. Would a school even take her. She's bright.

Schools will take her if there is space, I think. I'm not sure how the Junior Cert subjects tie in with GCSE subjects but someone should be able to comment. I guess getting a school place will depend on where you're moving to and schools having room. What area are you thinking of?

I am a secondary teacher in England and certainly for my LA it would depend. She would get into an under subscribed school which would be allocated by the LA. Then, options wise, what does she do now (e.g. art), is the coursework transferable (e.g. exam boards)? Would she have to catch up on new novels, again depending on the exam board? Do the school offer the subjects she has chosen?

It's a really tricky time to start a new school but not impossible IME.

It would be very hard to slot right into GCSE year as she will have to sit the exams after less than half the time on the course.

Would you consider putting her one year behind so that she starts the GSCE courses from the beginning?

Do you know where you would be moving to? It's very late for applying for a school place for Sept and GCSE year is a very bad time to be moving school. Can you wait a year? She will have missed at least half the GCSE curriculum at this point and I don't see how she could make that up really. Talk to the local authority of wherever you're planning to move to, but it may be complicated.

Is there any chance she would be allowed to re-do year 10? At 16 in September she should technically be in yr 11 but that would be bloody difficult because would be more than halfway through gcse courses (as GCSEs minimum of 2 years, but some schools start with some content in year 9 even.

I guess she cant skip straight to A-levels? without having done GCSE?

I wouldn’t

No you can’t do A-levels without GCSEs.

She would have to do GCSEs first, unless she already has GCSE equivalents already. She would probably be better of being kept back a year and going into year 10 so she can start (most of) the GCSEs from the beginning rather than halfway through. If the school has space they legally have to accept you but you would have to ask about starting earlier.

Yes that does happen, but she’d need to demonstrate that she’s atthe right academic standard and I’m not sure how that would work. I suspect it will depend on the school/college.

It’s not that unusual for international students to do a levels without GCSEs so I’m pretty sure is possible.

If you were lucky enough to get a place in a local school please get her to start in year 10. I have taught in the UK and have friends who have moved from Dublin to the UK and have done just this. The Junior Cert is much lower standard than the GCSEs - especially in the sciences.
I hope for your sake that you are not moving to a Grammar School area as that makes a change even more difficult.

They might let her do a reduced number of subjects and take extra study time to pass those. If she can do the subjects she wants for A level plus maths and English that might be more doable for her.

When does she turn 16?
If it is before 31st August then she can go straight into a Sixth form or Sixth Form college - they will either make her do some GCSEs then start A'levels after a year, or if she has her Junior Cert then she may well be able to go straight into A'levels.
Even if she is turning 16 in the first few days of September I might well be contacting Sixth Form colleges to see if they will accept her as an exception.
Some students have been accepted in some years into my DC's very oversubscribed school in the GCSE years, but it is not popular as they need a special timetable for reduced GCSEs in one year.

The problem if you skip GCSEs is that there are a lot of jobs which require grade C (or level 4+) English and Maths as minimum requirements even if you've got higher quals in other subjects.

My parents and I moved abroad just after I turned 16 too.

School-wise, I had to drop some GCSEs as the new school either didn't do the subject at all or their curriculum was too different. But I did extra lessons to catch up the rest and still got into uni later.

Other-wise, I gradually completely lost touch with all my best friends, became very depressed as I was suddenly an only (and now friendless) child (older siblings didn't come),developed an eating disorder I believe from the lack of control I felt I had in my life after moving, and moved back to the UK as soon as I could (age 18.5). But just because it happened to me doesn't mean it will happen to your Dd. Just wanted you to be aware that uprooting especially at that age can have a massive effect.

We had friends move back from Oz, both adults and the children are Brit citizens, no school or college would take them

I moved to the UK aged 16 and had to go back and restart GCSEs.

When I was doing A-levels I had a friend in the same situation, except she skipped ahead straight to A-levels. TBH she REALLY struggled, it definitely wasn't the right decision for her.

You need at least maths and English GCSES evwn if you have A levels. I have a BA and MA from a top 10. My last job asked for scans of my maths and English GCSEs also.

As few subjects have coursework now it's easier than it was as long as she is willing to make up the year 10 work, schools deal with this often. If the school and your dd are willing to put her back in year 10 she stands the best chance of top grades but if she's resentful and doesn't fit being up to 2 years older it won't work. Call the council where you would be living for specific advice on school places

Can you enrol in online schooling? You can pay for her to sit separate GCSE papers as a home schooler would (I presume anyway)

I know that for the OU you can do access courses without any prior qualifications - but I'm unsure how it works for GCSEs/A-Levels.

What are her predicted grades?
Are there any areas where she's particularly struggling? Is she taking any 'specialist' subjects?
Anything with coursework that counts toward a final grade?

Or resitting year 10. But again, I'm unsure how LAs work with regards to that.
You could end up in a shit school, with no options.

I understand the housing problem but schooling is generally better in Ireland, and I believe uni is still much cheaper? Could your DD stay during term time?

I've never been asked for my English and Maths GCSE certificates after I left uni and got a proper job but then I had Maths A level. However unis do ask for GCSE grades or equivalent in them.

Posted too soon.

She needs to sit (and pass) Maths and English at the very least.
You'd need to decide on the exam board and ensure she learns to suit their syllabus, in a way that fulfils the math requirement; these can vary.

Has she completed her Junior Cert?
Why not look for a school that offers the Baccalaureate, rather than A levels?